How to Cook Ground Beef for a Baby

Ken Macdonald

A young mother is feeding her baby.
(Image: Purestock/Purestock/Getty Images)

As all new parents discover, babies are blissfully unaware of the developmental milestones set out in childcare manuals. They start to crawl, talk and eat solids when they are ready. However, as a rule of thumb, most babies are ready to eat solids at between 4-to-6-months old. You can add more substantial solids like ground beef to the menu at 6-to-8-months, albeit in pureed form. After 8 months, most babies can tackle finely minced ground beef. Beef is high in protein and contains calcium and iron, all beneficial for growing babies.

Step 1

Place a frying pan on the stovetop set to a low- to medium-heat. Put enough oil, such as sunflower or groundnut, into the pan so that the bottom is covered with a thin layer.

Step 2

Add the ground mince to the pan, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it warms up.

Step 3

Turn the beef with the wooden spoon so that it is browned all over.

Step 4

Simmer the ground beef gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for readiness by sampling a spoonful – it needs to be cooked right through.

Step 5

Drain excess fat from the pan and puree the beef in a food processor. Skip this step if your baby can already manage ground beef.